UNIVERSITY   OF   CALIFORNIA 

COLLEGE    OF    AGRICULTURE 
AGRICULTURAL   EXPERIMENT  STATION 

CIRCULAR  No.  268 
July,  1923 

Inexpensive  Labor  Saving  Poultry  Appliances 

By  J.  E.  DOUGHERTY  and  S.  S.  GOSSMAN 


CONTENTS  PAGE 

Trapnests 1 

Plain  Nests 7 

Hoppers 12 

Catching  Devices 21 

Watering  Devices 23 

Fattening  Crate 27 

Supply  Can 27 

Hatching  Egg  Cabinet 29 

Egg  Sorting  Table  32 

In  the  following  pages  are  described  and  illustrated  a  number  of 
practical,  inexpen5;ive  poultry  appliances  designed  to  save  labor  and 
simplify  the  poultry  keeper's  work  in  caring  for  his  flock.  In  perfect- 
ing these  appliances,  the  aim  has  been  (1)  to  keep  the  cost  as  low  as 
possible;  (2)  to  make  them  simple  in  design  so  that  anyone  with 
ordinary  skill  in  handling  a  hammer  and  saw  can  readily  construct 
them  at  home ;  and  (3)  to  produce  appliances  that  will  work  efficiently. 

TRAPNESTS 

Poultry  keepers  have  come  to  realize  more  fully  each  year  the  great 
value  of  the  trapnest  in  breeding  for  increased  egg  production,  just  as 
dairymen  have  learned  to  appreciate  the  value  of  the  scales  and 
Babcock  tester  in  improving  dairy  herds.  The  purpose  of  the  trap- 
nest is  not  to  determine  how  many  eggs  each  hen  in  a  flock  lays  in 
order  to  identify  and  cull  out  the  unprofitable  producers;  low  pro- 
ducers can  be  more  economically  culled  out  by  well  established  methods 
of  judging  of  the  laying  abilities  of  fowls  on  the  basis  of  external 
physical  indications.  The  purpose  of  the  trapnest  is  (1)  to  determine 
definitely  the  laying  performance  of  those  birds  in  the  flock  possessing. 


2  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

if  possible,  a  promising  pedigree  and  physical  indications  of  being 
heavy  layers  (qualities  which  would  make  them  desirable  breeders),  in 
order  that  the  superior  birds  may  be  more  accurately  selected  for 
future  breeding;  and  (2)  to  fix  the  identity  of  each  egg  with  the  hen 
that  laid  it  so  that  the  pedigree  records  of  individuals  in  the  breeding 
flock  may  be  preserved  from  generation  to  generation  and  utilized  in 
making  matings  that  will  increase  the  laying  qualities  of  the  offspring. 

California  Trapnest  No.  1. — This  is  a  simple  box  nest  costing  very 
little  more  to  build  than  an  ordinary  nest  (fig.  1).  The  trapdoor  is 
hinged  at  the  top  with  four  No.  Ill  screw  eyes.  The  eyes  of  the  two 
screws  that  are  screwed  into  the  wooden  strip  from  which  the  trapdoor 
hangs  are  opened  sufficiently  to  receive  the  eyes  of  the  two  which  are 
screwed  into  the  top  of  the  trapdoor  itself.  This  simple  hinging 
device  permits  of  unhooking  and  removing  the  trapdoors  from  the 
nest  whenever  it  is  desired  to  eliminate  the  trapping  feature  and  use 
it  as  a  plain  nest. 

To  set  the  nest,  the  door  is  swung  inward  and  held  at  the  bottom 
by  a  wire  hook  at  just  the  right  height  so  that  when  a  hen  enters  the 
nest  and  slips  under  the  door,  her  hack  will  raise  it  up  just  enough 
to  release  the  hook  and  allow  the  door  to  swing  quietly  shut  behind 
her.  The  door  does  not  close  with  a  bang,  but  slips  slowly  down  the 
fowl 's  back  and  over  her  tail  after  the  hook  is  released  and  as  the  hen 
goes  farther  into  the  nest.  This  hook  (see  fig.  la)  is  made  of  a  piece 
of  No.  6  galvanized  wire  and  can  easily  be  made  at  home  with  a  vise, 
a  hammer,  and  a  piece  of  steel  rod  over  which  to  shape  the  eye  of 
the  hook. 

To  release  the  hen,  the  door  is  pushed  in  and  the  hen  is  caught  in 
the  two  extended  hands  as  she  comes  out.  The  left  hand  of  the 
operator  is  slipped  under  the  breast  of  the  hen  with  the  fingers  grasp- 
ing both  shanks  at  the  hock,  and  the  right  hand  is  placed  on  her  back 
with  the  spread  fingers  holding  the  wings  to  the  body.  The  hen  is 
then  tucked  under  the  left  arm,  while  with  the  right  hand  the  nest  is 
reset  and  the  egg  removed.  Holding  the  shanks  up,  the  legband  is 
then  read  and  noted  and  the  hen  released.  The  legband  should  be 
placed  with  the  figures  upside  down  on  the  fowl's  leg  so  that  they  can 
be  easily  read  when  the  fowl  is  held  in  the  position  described. 

When  saving  hatching  eggs  the  hen  number,  pen  number,  and 
day  of  month  are  usually  marked  on  the  large  end  of  the  egg  thus, 
268/48/7,  after  releasing  the  hen.  At  other  times  the  egg  is  simply 
credited  to  the  hen  on  the  record  sheet  hanging  in  the  pen.* 

*  A  blank  form  of  record  sheet  may  be  obtained  on  application  to  the  Poultry 
l.'ivision  of  the  University  of  California,  Davis,  California. 


Circular  268] 


LABOR   SAVING    POCTLTRY    APPLIANCES 


T^"l 

r-5 


Fig.  1. — California  trapnest  No.  1. 

^r 


^.gac/iaty  et/e-a  "''-*'^ 


No.  Ill  SCfGY* 


^     S  mesh    hardvrore    c/oth 
FRONT    VinW 


,7*f^^. 


g  "  ?    ■af-rip  to  cove/'  ed<jas 
of  wine  netfirxjf 

CROSS  SECTION 


f   /i' 


1^ 


De-foi/  of  hook 


-//■-i 


^    //a  6  m>e 


Detail  of  door-ytop 


Fig.  la. — Working  plans  for  California  trapnest  Xo.  1.  The  above  measure- 
ment of  5%  inches  between  bottom  of  nest  and  bottom  of  trapdoor  when  set  is 
only  approximate.  Hook  should  hold  door  just  high  euough  so  that  when  a 
hen  enters  nest  and  passes  under  the  trapdoor,  her  back  will  raise  it  high  enough 
to  release  hook  and  allow  door  to  swing  quietly  shut  behind  her.  If  door  is 
hooked  too  high,  hen  will  not  trip  it  in  entering  nest. 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


m^^^^-w— 

Vi 

^.  1 . 

JHfti^l 

^^guim^y 

Fig,  2. — California  trapnest  No.  2. 


r^  — ^ 


cfoo/-  g/"o/p 


m 


mesh  hordv^are  cloth 


rpONT    VIEW 


ac/TBW  ®ye   opsn&d    ond  used 
^  OS  o  screw  hooh. 


^:J> 


Jy 


& 


^"f  sfrip    to  cover  c3oftom  of  nesf   of 

ed<^e3   of  wire  neft/n^  j'  hardware    mesh. 

CR035      aECTION 


u 


DETAIL   of  HOOK 


^      /Yo  6  wire 


Fig.  2a. — Working  plans  for  California  trapnest  No.  2. 


Circular  268]  LABOR   SAVING   POULTRY    APPLIANCES  5 

As  it  is  necessary  to  place  a  platform  in  front  of  this  nest  for  the 
hen  to  jump  upon  in  order  to  enter,  it  is  possible  for  a  hen  to  push  in 
the  trapdoor  and  enter  the  nest  while  it  is  being  used  by  another  hen. 
This  can  be  prevented  by  using  an  inside  stop  which  locks  the  trap- 
door from  the  inside.  This  inside  stop  Tfig.  la)  drops  down  when  the 
trapdoor  closes  behind  a  hen  entering  the  nest  to  lay  and  the  piece 


Fig.  3. — No.  1  trapnests  in  a  double  tier  against  the  wall. 
Note  platforms  in  front  of  nests, 

projecting  at  right  angles  holds  the  door  closed.  To  open  the  door 
and  release  the  hen,  raise  the  front  end  of  the  stop  as  high  as  it  will 
go  and  push  the  door  in. 

A  number  of  years  of  experience  with  California  No.  1  trapnests 
without  inside  door  stops  show  that  two  hens  w^U  very  seldom  enter 
the  same  nest.  The  inside  stop  may,  therefore,  be  omitted,  if  the 
occasional  entry  of  tv/o  hens  into  the  same  nest  is  not  objectionable, 
otherwise  it  should  be  used. 


6  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT   STATION 

California  Trapnest  No.  2. — This  nest  is  similar  to  trapnest  No.  1, 
except  that  the  platform  placed  in  front  for  the  hen  to  jump  upon  in 
order  to  enter  the  nest  (figs.  2,  2a,  3^  and  4")  has  been  made  apart  of  the 
trapnest).  This  makes  the  nest  deeper  from  front  to  rear.  By  making 
the  platform  a  part  of  the  nest  and  moving  the  trapdoor  forward  to 
the  front  edge  of  this  platform,  no  inside  door  stop  is  needed  and  the 
nest  is  made  more  roomy.  Two  hens  cannot  enter  the  same  nest 
because  the  trapdoor,  when  closed,  closes  the  platform  as  well  as  the 
nest  proper. 


Fig.  4. — No.  2  trapnests  under  the  droppings  board.  Note  absence  of  any 
platform  boards  in  front  of  nests  for  hens  to  jump  upon  before  entering. 
Instead  they  jump  directly  into  front  end  of  nest  which  serves  as  a  platform. 


The  operation  of  the  nest  is  exactly  the  same  as  that  of  the  No.  1 
nest.  The  hen  is  removed  and  the  trapdoor  set  in  the  same  way  with 
both  nests. 

The  No.  1  nest  may  be  tiered  on  the  wall  as  shown  in  figure  3  or 
placed  under  the  droppings  boards.  The  No.  2  nest  is  better  suited 
for  use  under  the  droppings  boards  or  on  the  wall  where  nests  are  not 
tiered,  because  it  is  intended  that  the  hen  shall  jump  directly  into  this 
nest  from  the  floor.  It  can  be  used  in  tiers  two  nests  high,  however, 
if  the  upper  tier  is  not  placed  too  high.    If  the  upper  tier  of  nests  is 


Circular  268]  LABOR   SAVING   POULTRY   APPLIANCES  7 

too  far  from  the  floor  for  the  hen  to  safely  jump  into,  or  if  more  than 
two  tiers  are  used,  a  platform  should  be  used  in  front  of  all  nests 
above  the  lowest  tier.  With  such  a  platform  it  is  possible  for  two 
hens  to  enter  the  same  nest,  as  explained  in  the  discussion  of  the 
No.  1  nest  on  page  5,  and  inside  door  stops  may  have  to  be  used  on 
those  nests  wdth  the  platforms  in  front.  Some  poultry  keepers  use 
No.  2  nests  for  the  bottom  tier  and  No.  1  nests  for  the  second  tier. 
"With  this  arrangement  the  projecting  tops  of  the  No.  2  nests  serve  as 
a  front  platform  for  the  No.  1  nests  above. 

The  trapdoor  used  with  these  nests  is  very  simple  to  make  and  is 
both  light  and  strong.  The  bottom  cleat  furnishes  a  quick  operating 
hold  for  the  wire  hook;  the  top  cleat  is  thick  enough  to  hold  the  screw 
eyes  tightly;  the  one  inch  center  opening  is  not  wide  enough  for  a  hen 
to  put  her  head  through  while  waiting  to  be  released,  yet  permits  the 
attendant  to  see  into  the  nest. 

The  nest  bottom  is  made  of  i/s-inch  mesh  hardware  cloth,  which 
keeps  the  nest  much  more  clean  with  less  labor  than  where  a  wooden 
bottom  is  used.  It  also  makes  the  nest  cooler  in  summer  and  almost 
entirely  eliminates  losses  on  the  nest  from  heat  prostration.  Galvan- 
ized wire  window  screen  cloth  can  also  be  used,  but  it  is  not  so  durable 
and  lasting. 

The  wire  cloth  bottom  permits  free  circulation  of  air  so  that 
droppings  dry  very  quickly.  In  scratching  around  preparatory  to 
laying,  each  hen  using  the  nest  breaks  up  any  dried  droppings  pre- 
viously deposited,  and  these  particles  drop  through  the  wire  cloth. 
It  is  true  that  the  nesting  litter  also  breaks  up  and  sifts  through  so 
that  it  has  to  be  replenished  more  frequently  than  with  wooden  bottom 
nests,  but  the  eggs  are  kept  cleaner  and  the  nests  are  practically 
self -cleaning.  The  labor  saved  in  washing  dirty  eggs  and  the  loss 
avoided  in  decreased  returns  on  such  eggs  will  more  than  pay  for  any 
additional  cost  of  wire  cloth  for  nest  bottoms  in  a  verv  short  time. 


PLAIN  NESTS 

Nest  and  Broody  Coop  UniL — A  very  compact  and  effective  nest- 
ing arrangement  is  illustrated  in  figures  5  and  5a.  It  consists  of  a 
light  frame  holding  two  tiers  of  nests  and  a  broody  coop.  The  broody 
coop  is  made  of  lath  with  one-inch  mesh  wire  bottom.  It  rests  on  two 
supporting  strips  and  is  removable.  A  wood  tray  slides  beneath  the 
broody  coop  to  catch  the  droppings  which  fall  through  the  wire  mesh 
bottom. 


b  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

The  nests  are  built  in  batteries  of  four  to  six  nests  each  and  the 
ends  of  each  battery  rest  on  supporting  strips,  which  form  slideways 
so  that  the  batteries  can  be  slid  out  and  removed.  There  is  a  walkway 
in  front  of  each  tier  of  nests  and  a  drop  door  in  front  of  the  walkway. 
This  door  not  only  closes  the  entire  nesting  compartment,  providing  a 
secluded,  slightly  darkened  place  for  the  hens,  but  gives  ready  access 
to  the  nests  for  collecting  eggs  and  cleaning. 


Fig.  5. — Nest  and  broody  coop  unit.    A  compact,  convenient  arrangement 
of  nests  and  broody  coop. 


Croaa   aecfion    ^itlj 
neafa  m  position 


Fig.  5a. — Working  plans  for  tlie  construction  of  nest  and  broody  coop  unit. 


Circular  268] 


LABOR   SAVING    POULTRY    APPLIANCES 


The  hens  enter  the  walkway  and  gain  access  to  the  nests  from  one 
or  both  ends.  In  figure  5  only  one  end  is  left  open,  owing  to  the 
limited  wall  space.  This  end  opening  can  be  closed  at  night  with  a 
small  door  whicPi  folds  back  out  of  the  way  during  the  day  and  carries 
a  small  platform.  The  hens  fly  from  the  floor  to  this  platform  and 
then  either  enter  the  wall^vay  leading  to  the  lower  tier  of  nests  or 
fly  on  up  to  the  walkway  leading  to  the  upper  tier. 


H9H 

Fig.  6. — Nests  under  droppings  board.    Nest  sections  with  high  partitions, 
low  partitions,  and  no  partitions  are  shown. 


^  mesh  poultrLj  nettJrxj 


Total   l&nqth  of  nest 
batten^    S&" 


2  '¥  jupport 
for  droppinos  boord 


Z''Z'  ouppofi- 


Fig.  Qa. — Working  plans  for  nests  sho^vn  in  figure  6. 


These  nests  may  be  made  into  California  No.  1  trapnests  by  attach- 
ing trapdoors  and  inside  stops.  The  trapdoors,  however,  will  have  to 
be  made  one-half  inch  narrower  from  top  to  bottom  than  the  door 
shown  in  figure  la  to  fit  the  front  opening  of  the  nests  used  in  this  unit. 


10  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT   STATION 

Nests  under  Droppings  Boards. — ^IJnder  the  droppings  boards  is, 
perhaps,  the  most  convenient  location  for  nests  because  they  are  out 
of  the  way  and  easy  to  get  at.  Less  material  and  carpenter  work  is 
also  required  to  install  them  than  is  the  case  when  placed  on  the  walls 
of  the  house.  Nests  placed  below  the  droppings  board,  however,  not 
only  shut  out  some  light  from  the  rear  part  of  the  floor  but  also 
prevent  the  poultryman  from  observing  the  area  under  the  droppings 
board  without  stooping. 

The  nests  shown  in  figure  6  are  built  in  sections  or  batteries  of 
five  nests  each,  but  the  number  of  nests  per  section  can  be  varied  to 
fit  the  particular  poultry  house  being  equipped.  The  ends  of  each 
nest  section  rest  on  strips  which  serve  as  a  slideway  permitting  the 
nests  to  slide  in  and  out.  These  strips  are  supported  by  brackets 
fastened  to  the  front  legs  of  the  droppings  board,  as  indicated  in 
figure  6a. 

Nest  sections  are  shown  in  figure  6  with  high  partitions  (12  inches), 
with  low  partitions  (3  inches),  and  with  no  partitions  at  all.  Careful 
tests  were  made  of  these  three  types  of  nests  by  installing  them  side 
by  side  in  each  pen  of  birds  used.  It  was  found  that  the  hens  liked 
the  nests  with  high  partitions  best  and  those  with  no  partitions  least. 
This  was  indicated  by  the  fact  that  even  during  the  spring  months  of 
heavy  laying,  most  of  the  eggs  were  laid  in  the  nests  with  high 
partitions,  some  few  in  the  nests  with  low  partitions,  and  almost  none 
in  the  nests  with  no  partitions.  In  order  to  eliminate  the  part  that 
the  position  of  any  section  of  nests  in  relation  to  other  sections  might 
play  in  determining  the  selection  made  by  the  hens,  the  positions  of 
the  different  sections  were  changed  from  time  to  time.  Hens  seemed  to 
prefer  the  greater  seclusion  afforded  by  the  high  partitions. 

Nests  on  Front  Wall. — Nests  can  also  be  placed  on  the  front  wall 
of  the  poultry  house,  as  shown  in  figures  7  and  7a.  The  amount  of 
wall  space  below  the  open  front  in  a  well  designed  California  laying 
house,  however,  is  not  sufficient  to  permit  of  more  than  one  tier  of 
nests  if  they  are  to  be  kept  high  enough  from  the  floor.  With  only 
one  tier,  so  much  wall  space  may  be  needed  to  provide  enough  nests 
for  the  number  of  hens  the  pen  will  properly  care  for  that  there  is 
insufficient  wall  space  for  other  equipment.  The  item  of  wall  space 
for  equipment  should  not  be  overlooked  in  designing  a  poultry  house 
and  the  pieces  of  equipment  which  go  into  it. 

It  is  recommended  that  the  bottoms  of  all  nests  be  made  of  %-inch 
mesh  hardware  cloth  or  galvanized  wire  window  screen  cloth.     As 


Circular  268] 


LABOR   SAVING   POUIiTRY    APPLIANCES 


11 


explained  on  page  7,  a  wire  me^^h  bottom  permits  free  circulation  of 
air  in  the  nest,  which  keeps  it  cooler,  prevents  losses  from  heat 
prostration  in  summer,  and  also  makes  the  nest  practically  self- 
cleaning. 


Fig.  7. — Nests  on  front  wall  of  open  front  house. 


■  Hinqed   platform    to     l^^y-j 
be  turned  up  at  nighf 
closjrx)  ne<s-f--s. 


I  i' strip 


^  strip  to  bind 
viine  mesh  boftom 


hirx^ 


awpport 


Nc^t  should  be  /¥' 
deep  //  u9ed  for  rmpne^-t. 


Fig.  la. — Working  plans  for  wall  nests  shown  in  figure  7. 


12 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT   STATION 


HOPPERS 

Dry  Mash  Hoppers. — The  type  of  dry  mash  hopper  shown  in 
figures  8,  8a  and  Sh  is  preferred  by  many  poultrymen  because  the 
fowls  can  always  get  to  the  mash  as  long  as  there  is  any  in  the  hopper. 


r¥f 


assiillii««"  ■' 


^ 


^ISSPI 


:|^^^|^^^^^ 


Fig.  8. — Four  vffews  of  California  dry  mash  hopper.  The  wire  mesh  grids 
shown  in  the  two  views  with  cover  raised  are  laid  on  top  of  the  mash  to  prevent 
the  fowls  from  hooking  it  out  and  wasting  it. 


A  self -feeding  hopper,  on  the  other  hand,  may  be  full  of  mash  and 
the  fowls  will  be  unable  to  get  it  because  the  throat  clogs  and  no  more 
will  feed  down  after  that  in  the  trough  has  been  eaten.  This  hopper 
is  non-wasting  if  filled  not  more  than  three-fourths  full  because  the 
grid  which  lies  on  top  of  the  mash  prevents  the  fowls  from  throwing 
it  out  with  their  bills.  Each  two  foot  length  will  hold  a  week's  supply 
of  mash  for  35  hens  and  it  may  be  made  any  length  desired.  The 
grid  may  be  made  of  heavy  steel  expanded  metal  lath  with  diamond- 


Circular  268] 


LABOR   SAVING    POULTRY    APPLIANCES 


13 


shaped  openings  or  %-inch  mesh  hardware  cloth.  The  expanded 
metal  lath  weighing  approximately  12  oz.  per  square  foot  and  with 
diamond-shaped  openings,  or  mesh  measuring  %  inch  the  short  way 
and  114  inches  the  long  way,  inside  measurements,  has  proven  the 
most  durable  and  efficient. 


-^^ 


//////  a/^/// 
z 


i_J/ 


CBcro-occTon 
Fig.  8a. — Working  plans  for  California  dry  mash  hopper. 


rig.  8Z>. — California  dry  mash  hopper  in  use.    Note  platform  to  keep  hoppers 
off  the  floor  so  that  they  will  not  be  scratched  full  of  dirt  and  litter. 

'Wall  Hopper. — The  most  skillfully  designed  self-feeding  mash 
hoppers  will  clog  up,  and  have  to  be  shaken  or  poked  with  a  stick  once 
or  twice  a  day  to  keep  them  feeding  properly.  Unless  the  throat  and 
trough  measurements  are  correct,  such  hoppers  are  also  very  wasteful 
of  feed  because  the  troughs  fill  too  full  and  the  birds  throw  the  feed  out 
in  picking  it  over.  They  have  the  advantage  over  most  other  types 
of  hoppers,  however,  of  holding  a  large  supply  of  feed  and  not  having 
to  be  filled  so  frequently. 


14 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — ^EXPERIMENT    STATION 


Fig.  9. — Wall  type,  self-feeding  dry  mash  hopper  in  use  on  partition  wall. 


c/eo/ 


^trip 


T 
<54"  (c; 

i 


■jg^ 


//i*-^ 


Fig.  9a. — Working  plan  for  wall  hopper  shown  in  figure  9. 


Circular  268] 


LABOR   SAVING    POULTRY    APPLIANCES 


15 


The  self-feeding  wall  hopper  illustrated  in  figures  9  and  9a  will 
hold  a  large  amount  of  feed  and  the  trough  has  been  carefully  designed 
to  prevent  waste.  This  hopper  can  be  built  any  height  and  length 
desired,  but  if  built  too  high  it  is  difficult  to  lift  sacks  of  mash  to  the 
top  and  empty  them. 


Fig.  10. — Self-feeding  dry  mash  and  green  feed  hoppers  designed  to  slide 
under  droppings  board.     Mash  hopper  at  left;  green  feed  hopper  at  right. 


'j_ 


Def<yJI    of 

oiidinq    -auppofi. 


v5ecr-/o/9  of  hoppmr 


Fig.  10a. — Plans  for  the  construction  of  mash  hopper  shown  in  figure  10. 


16 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT   STATION 


Sliding  Hopper. — The  hopper  shown  in  figures  10  and  10a  is  also 
of  the  self -feeding  type,  but  is  designed  to  slide  under  the  droppings 
board.  It  is  much  more  compact  and  economical  of  space  than  the 
wall  hopper  because  it  feeds  from  both  sides.  In  most  laying  houses 
wall  space  for  appliances  is  at  a  premium.  The  placing  of  nests  under 
the  droppings  board  not  only  shuts  out  light  from  the  rear  part  of  the 
floor  but  also  prevents  the  poultrymen  from  seeing  what  is  going  on 
there  without  stooping,  hence  this  is  not  a  desirable  location  for  nests. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  the  nests  are  placed  on  the  front  or  side  walls 
of  the  pen,  there  is  insufficient  wall  space  left  for  mash  hoppers,  water 
fountain,  and  green  feed  hoppers.  The  nests,  therefore,  must  either 
be  placed  under  the  droppings  board  or  the  mash  hoppers  placed  in 


DETAIL    of    SLIDEWAY 
.^^i '  bolt 


rig.  11. — Plans  for  the  construction  of  green  feed  hopper  shown  in  figure  10. 

the  center  of  the  floor,  where  they  are  in  the  way.  To  overcome  this 
difficulty  and  make  it  unnecessary  to  place  nests  under  the  droppings 
board  or  dry  mash  hoppers  in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  the  California 
mash  hopper  shown  in  figure  10  was  designed. 

This  hopper  has  eight  feet  of  feeding  trough,  yet  is  only  four  feet 
long.  A  wall  hopper  with  similar  trough  capacity  would  occupy  eight 
feet  of  wall  space.  This  is  an  extremely  important  matter  to  the 
poultry  keeper  in  view  of  the  fact  that  at  least  one  linear  inch  of  mash 
hopper  trough  space  should  be  provided  per  hen.  No  light  is  shut  out 
from  the  floor  beneath  the  droppings  board  and  the  poultry  keeper's 
view  of  this  part  of  the  house  is  not  obstructed.  The  hopper  is 
sufficiently  low  to  be  convenient  to  fill  and  has  ample  feed  capacity. 
It  is  conveniently  located  in  a  cool  part  of  the  house,  yet  is  out  of  the 
way.     By  pulling  the  hopper  out  part  way  and  resting  the  sack  of 


Circular  268] 


LABOR  SAVING   POULTRY   APPLIANCES 


17 


feed  on  the  droppings  board,  the  hopper  is  easily  filled  without  undue 
strain  on  it.  All  parts  of  the  hopper  except  the  ends  should  be  made 
of  1/2 -inch  lumber  to  make  it  light  in  weight. 


Fig.  12. — Wall  type  of  green  feed  hopper. 


/'mesh 
poultry  nettinQ 


Fig.  12a. — Plans  for  the  construction  of  the  wall  type  of  green  feed  hopper. 


18 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT   STATION 


Green  Feed  Hoppers. — Fresh,  tender  greens  should  be  fed  to 
poultry  of  all  ages  and  the  birds  given  all  they  will  eat  daily.  Allow- 
ing chickens  to  range  over  growing  forage  crops  is  much  more 
beneficial  than  cutting  and  feeding  green  stuff  to  the  fowls,  but  if  the 
latter  method  must  be  used,  the  most  efficient  way  to  handle  it  is  to 
cut  it  very  fine  in  a  feed  cutter  and  feed  it  in  a  green  feed  hopper  or 
rack.  The  use  of  such  a  hopper  greatly  lessens  waste  because  it  holds 
the  fresh  material  together  so  that  it  remains  in  an  unwilted  and 
succulent  condition  for  a  much  longer  time  than  it  would  if  it  were 
thrown  on  the  ground  and  scattered  about  by  the  hens. 


Fig.  13. — Self-feeding  grit  and  shell  hopper. 


Fig.  13a. — Working  plans  for  grit  and  shell  hopper. 


Circular  268] 


LABOR   SAVING    POULTRY    APPLIANCES 


19 


The  hopper  illustrated  in  figures  12  and  12a  is  made  to  hang  on 
the  wall.  The  one  shown  in  figures  10  and  11  slides  under  the  drop- 
pings board  and  feeds  from  both  sides,  so  that  the  same  length  of 
hopper  has  twice  the  feeding  capacity  of  the  wall  hopper.  Under  the 
droppings  board  is  a  very  convenient,  out-of-the-way  place  for  a  green 
feed  hopper  when  it  is  desirable  to  save  wall  space  for  nests. 


Fig.  14. — Chick  mash  hopper.     A  hopper  3  feet  long,  5  inches  wide,  and 
iy2  inches  deep,  inside  dimensions,  is  a  very  convenient  size. 

Grit  and  Shell  Hopper. — The  hopper  illustrated  in  figures  13  and 
13a  is  a  very  satisfactory  hopper  for  feeding  shell  and  grit  because 
these  materials  feed  easily  and  do  not  clog  in  the  throat  of  the  hopper 
as  do  ground  mill  feeds.  If  a  fine  grade  of  oyster  shell  is  used,  it 
may  clog  slightly  and  the  poultry  keeper  should,  therefore,  look  at 
the  shell  hoppers  occasionally  to  see  that  they  are  feeding  freely. 

Chick  Hopi^er. — Young  chicks  require  a  light,  shallow  hopper 
which  they  can  easily  feed  from,  is  readily  cleaned,  and  prevents 
waste.  The  hopper  shown  in  figure  14  answers  the  purpose  in  every 
way  and  is  simple  and  inexpensive  to  construct.  It  consists  merely 
of  a  shallow  tray  in  which  the  grain  or  dry  mash  mixture  is  placed. 
A  grid  made  of  i^-inch  mesh  hardware  cloth  cut  %  iiich  smaller  all 


20 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 


around  than  the  inside  dimensions  of  the  hopper  is  laid  on  top  of  the 
feed  to  prevent  the  chicks  from  scratching  it  out  on  the  floor.  The 
grid  is  bound  with  a  narrow  edging  of  galvanized  iron  to  stiffen  it 
and  cover  up  the  raw  edges. 


Fig:.  15. — Catching  hook  in  use. 


^ 


iK. 


F- 


Z'ft. 


^7  W/>e 


^ 


■^ I  ft.     >T<- 


Zft 


^ 

^'/z^ 


Sft 


Fig.  15a. — Method  of  constructing  a  catching  hook. 


Fig.  15&. — Net  for  catching  chickens. 


Circular  268]  labor  SxVVING  poultry  appliances  21 

Only  as  much  grain  or  dry  mash  should  be  put  into  the  trays  each 
day*  as  will  be  consumed  that  day.  The  trays  can  then  be  scraped 
out  clean  each  day  after  being  used.  These  trays  are  used  at  the 
Station  poultry  plant  from  the  time  the  chicks  are  hatched  until  they 
are  old  enough  to  use  the  large  mash  hoppers. 


CATCHING  DEVICES 

Catching  Hook. — In  figures  15  and  15a  is  shown  a  catching  hook 
which  is  very  convenient  in  catching  up  birds  for  examination  or  for 
removal  from  a  pen.  The  hook  itself  should  not  be  so  tightly  closed 
as  to  pinch  the  fowFs  shank,  and  care  should  be  exercised  not  to  jerk 
the  fowl  too  hard  in  hooking  it.  "When  the  hook  is  carelessly  used, 
there  is  danger  of  bruising  the  fowl's  shank  or  even  breaking  it.  If 
used  with  normal  care  and  judgment,  however,  a  catching  hook  will 
be  found  almost  indispensable  in  the  poultry  yards.  One  should  be 
kept  hanging  on  a  nail  in  each  pen,  where  it  will  be  quickly  available 
in  catching  sick  fowls  as  soon  as  discovered,  or  other  birds  that  it  may 
be  desirable  to  remove  from  the  pen.  Anyone  can  make  these  hooks  at 
little  expense. 

Catching  Net. — A  catching  net  (fig.  15&)  serves  the  same  purpose 
as  a  catching  hook  and  some  poultrymen  find  it  more  convenient  to 
use  than  the  hook.  These  nets  can  be  purchased  at  poultry  supply 
houses  or  made  at  home  with  a  stick,  some  No.  6  wire,  and  a  cord  net. 
The  net  part  can  be  woven  at  home  or  one  can  be  obtained  at  a  poultry 
or  fishing  supply  house. 

Catching  Coop. — A  catching  coop  is  an  indispensable,  labor  saving 
appliance  when  treating  fowls  for  body  lice,  vaccinating  for  chicken 
pox,  grading  and  culling,  transferring  from  pen  to  pen,  or  whenever 
considerable  numbers  of  chickens  have  to  be  handled  or  moved. 

In  using  the  coop,  the  end  with  the  sliding  door  (fig.  16,  16a,  and 
16&)  is  pushed  tightly  against  the  chicken  exit,  a  coop  full  of 
chickens  is  run  in,  and  the  sliding  door  is  closed.  If  the  birds  are  to 
be  moved  the  coop  is  then  loaded  on  a  wagon  or  carried  to  the  place 
desired.  In  handling  the  fowls  individually,  the  poultryman  sits  on 
the  coop  and  withdraws  the  birds  one  at  a  time  through  one  or  the 
other  of  the  hinged  doors  in  the  top. 


*  For  detailed  information  on  the  subject  of  poultry  feeding,  the  reader  is 
referred  to  Circular  No.  242  of  the  California  Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 


Fig.  ]G.- -Catching  coop  partially  filled  with  chickens. 


^^^^^W'' 


Fig.  16a. — Catching  coop  with  sliding  end  gate  and  hinged  trapdoors  raised. 


ROunO     HEAP 


SCREW  ^^        ^i-  '^iS?        (IIMGE 


>iXi;j5TRIP5 


1x4  f  IjOORlflG  --s^ 


t%Z   DRE55ED 


51DE     ELE\/ATlOn 


\k4 

fuo< 

)Rin 

. 

1 
1 
1 
1 

1 
1 

1 
1 

"  1 

1  ' 

1 

1 

^& 


ZXl   PRESSED 


EMD   ELEVATlOn 


.  54Xi"CLCAT3    __^/^'- 


1 ,1,  ^  1J.    Mrrhtn^ ' h 


'/t  X  1ft  STRIPS  i     1 1 


=tt 


fLOOE.     PL/ft  h  DETAIL  o/"eMD  CAT E 

CATCM1/1G        COOP 

Fig.  lC)b. — Working  plans  for  catching  coop. 


Circular  268] 


LABOR   SAVING    POULTRY    APPLIANCES 


23 


WATERING  DEVICES 

The  California  poultry  keeper  is  fortunate  in  being  able  to  pipe 
running  water  to  every  chicken  house  and  yard  without  danger  of  the 
pipes  freezing  and  bursting  in  winter.  It  is  possible  to  provide 
automatically  a  continuous  supply  of  fresh  water  every  month  in  the 
year,  and  a  great  many  ingenious  watering  devices  are  being  used 
for  this  purpose.  In  figure  17  is  illustrated  a  simple,  continuous  drip 
waterer  which  was  designed  by  this  Station  a  number  of  years  ago 
and  has  proven  very  popular.     The  hose  style  gas  cock  drips  slowly 

V/all  of  house. 

inside    -Z-*  f\r^-»-  outside 


//>»«  -a/iy/e    ^cf.s  cock 


*9    wif^e         _^ 
K^o/der-ed  on 


3 '  (^alvanixed 
oonduc+or'  /oi/oe  el  bo 


Calvanlzed 
''\^  conductor  pip*^ 


Cup   mode  from   •smoU 
evaporated   milk  can 


/loor-  /loe 


Ground    line 


Grovel  pif  or  ^ump 


Fig.  17. — A  simple,  continuous  drip  watering  device  using  a  small 
size  evaporated  milk  can  as  the  drinking  cup. 

into  the  small  cup  suspended  by  three  lugs  in  the  upper  end  of  a 
plain  three-inch  galvanized  conductor  or  rain  pipe  elbow.  The  over- 
flow from  this  cup  runs  through  the  elbow  into  a  conductor  pipe  on 
the  outside  of  the  house  and  is  carried  down  into  a  hole  in  the  ground 
about  18  inches  square  and  two  feet  deep,  which  is  partially  filled  with 
coarse  rock  or  gravel.  The  cup  is  made  from  a  small  size,  evaporated 
milk  can. 

Another  style  of  drip  waterer  that  is  easily  made  at  home  is  shown 
in  figure  18.  The  water  drips  slowly  into  a  drinking  vessel  made  from 
a  2%  size  tin  can,  such  as  is  used  for  tomatoes  or  canned  fruits,  and 
the  overflow  is  carried  through  the  overflow  spout  into  a  conductor 
pipe  on  the  outside  wall  of  the  house  and  then  into  the  ground  a^  in 
the  case  of  the  drip  waterer  described  in  the  previous  paragraph. 


24 


UNIVERSITY   OF   CALIFORNIA — ^EXPERIMENT   STATION 


In  one  side  of  the  can  near  the  top  is  cut  a  neat  round  hole  to 
receive  an  overflow  spout.  This  spout,  if  made  of  tin,  is  soldered  on 
to  the  can,  or  a  short  piece  of  %-inch  water  pipe  may  be  used.  If  a 
water  pipe  is  used  as  a  spout,  a  long  thread  is  cut  on  one  end,  a  lock- 
nut  is  screwed  on  this  end  with  a  wrench  as  far  as  it  will  go,  a  gasket 
cut  from  a  piece  of  old  automobile  inner  tube  is  slipped  against  the 
locknut,  the  threaded  end  is  inserted  in  the  hole  cut  in  the  can  and 
a  second  locknut  is  screwed  on  and  tightened  so  as  to  form  a  water- 
tight connection  between  the  can  and  the  pipe.  The  locknuts  can  be 
made  of  %-inch  pipe  couplings  cut  into  three  pieces  with  a  hack  saw. 

In  drinking  from  water  vessels,  chickens  will  slop  a  certain  amount 

Wo//  of  hoas« 
inside   "^^r^  ^outaide 

Y^/eed  pJp« 

>sjoouf  of 
[=^       %  pipe  either 
'T-n.  ■  -aoldered  io 

can  or  fi»»tvotd 
with  locknut. 

i' eonduc-fof 


Elevation 


Fig.  18. — Another  style  of  continuous  drip  waterer,  using  empty 
vegetable  cans  as  drinking  vessels. 


and  keep  the  vicinity  of  the  water  vessel  continually  wet,  whether  a 
trough,  a  pan,  or  a  drip  cup  be  used.  This  constantly  wet  area  around 
the  water  vessel  is  not  only  unsightly  but  any  woodwork  included 
in  this  wet  area  may  be  caused  to  rot  out  rather  quickly.  Any  litter 
that  becomes  wet  will  be  mixed  up  with  the  dry  litter  by  the  hens  in 
scratching  for  grain  and  the  moisture  slowly  distributed  through  and 
absorbed  by  the  dry  litter  so  that  it  will  become  damp  and  must  be 
cleaned  more  often  in  winter.  In  dry  summer  weather,  the  stirring 
around  of  the  dampened  litter  will  aid  in  drying  it. 

To  eliminate  the  unsightly  appearance  caused  by  the  slopping  of 
water  by  the  chickens  and  any  harm  it  may  do,  the  watering  arrange- 
ment shown  in  figure  19  has  been  designed.  An  especially  constructed, 
galvanized  iron  pan  or  catch  basin,  18  inches  square,  is  supported  in 
a  wooden  frame  fastened  to  the  front  wall  of  the  hen  house,  24  inches 
above  the  floor  (fig.  19a).  A  1-inch  mesh  wire  netting  or  latticed 
lath  cover  rests  on  top  of  this  pan  and  supports  a  shallow  water  vessel. 


Circular  268] 


LABOR   SAVING    POULTRY    APPLIANCES 


25 


The  water  drips  from  the  hose  style  gas  cock  into  the  water  vessel  and 
the  overflow  from  this  pan,  together  with  the  water  slopped  around  by 
the  hens,  is  caught  in  the  large  pan  or  catch  basin  below.  It  is  then 
carried  out  of  the  house  and  into  a  gravel  pit  in  the  ground.  The 
large  drain  pan  prevents  the  floor  and  woodwork  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  water  vessel  from  becoming  wet. 


Fig.  19, — Watering  device  designed  to  prevent  the  slopping  of  water 

by  the  hens. 


2Vs* 


J^trern      for- 

Drain    'Pan  . 

(Bend   metal  on         > 

aoftea   lines)        I 


^ 


-    Ramovable    fnime  f-T'-T 
/^?fa  v^hicJi  rneffing  io  tacked  '^  '""'*  P°^  ~z^ 


7/    r  >)A\ 


T-J 


'  "^bracAe* 


^ra^jnct 


Fig.  19a. — Method  of  constructing  waterer  shown  in  use  in  figure  19. 

An  automatic  faucet  and  a  small  bucket  suspended  from  it  may  be 
substituted  for  the  drip  cock  and  water  pan  if  desired.  This  auto- 
matic faucet  is  operated  by  the  weight  of  the  bucket  of  water  and 
can  be  adjusted  for  different  weights.  When  the  amount  of  water  in 
the  bucket  falls  below  the  desired  level,  a  spring  opens  the  faucet  and 
more  water  runs  into  the  bucket  until  the  weight  of  this  added  water 


26 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


is  sufficient  to  close  the  faucet  and  again  raise  the  water  level  to 
the  desired  height.  In  using  a  bucket  a  hole  should  be  left  in  the 
center  of  the  wire  netting  or  latticed  lath  cover  for  the  pail  to  hang 
in.  If  the  pail  rests  on  top  of  the  cover,  it  will  be  too  high  for  the 
fowls  to  drink  out  of  comfortably. 


I 


)!"f|l'»li|(M!f5illl 


Fig.  20. — Two  compartment  fattening  crate. 


Note 

Back.  Top  and  Enift 
are  c,vti-r4  with   I  inch 
tnesh   ttrttinf. 


FATTENINO    CRATE 

Fig.  20a. — Working  plans  of  two  compartment  fattening  crate. 


Circular  268]  labor  SAVING  POULTRY  APPLIANCES  27 


FATTENING  CKATE 

In  crate  fattening  the  birds  are  shut  up  in  crates,  each  compart- 
ment of  which  is  3  feet  long,  2  feet  wide,  and  18  inches  high.  Some- 
times they  are  made  np  in  two  compartment  sections  as  shown  in 
figures  20  and  20a,  or  they  may  be  made  in  much  longer  sections. 
The  crates  may  be  covered  on  all  sides  with  lath,  or  the  lath  may  be 
used  in  front  with  the  other  sides  covered  with  1-inch  netting.  The 
strips  covering  the  front  should  be  placed  vertically  so  that  the  fowls 
can  poke  their  heads  through  and  eat  out  of  the  trough  in  front.  The 
strips  are  spaced  1%  inches  to  1%  inches  apart  for  half  grown  fowLs, 
such  as  broilers  and  fryers,  and  2  inches  apart  for  mature  fowls. 
Small  market  stock  of  the  lighter  breeds,  such  as  broilers  and  small 
frys,  can  often  squeeze  through  strips  2  inches  apart.  While  slats 
may  be  used  for  the  bottom,  %-inch  hardware  cloth  is  much  more 
sanitary,  much  easier  to  keep  clean,  and  costs  but  a  fraction  more. 
The  crates  are  usually  placed  two  and  three  deep  in  the  fattening 
house  and  a  pan  1  inch  deep  and  of  the  same  size  as  the  bottom  of 
each  compartment  is  placed  directly  underneath  every  compartment 
to  catch  the  droppings  which  fall  through.  These  pans  can  be  pulled 
out  and  cleaned  every  day  without  disturbing  the  birds.  This  arrange- 
ment keeps  the  coops  clean  and  sanitary  and  the  birds  need  not  be 
disturbed  from  the  time  they  are  put  in  till  they  are  fat  enough  for 
market,  the  cleaning  and  feeding  all  being  done  from  the  outside. 

The  feed  troughs  can  be  made  from  ordinary  5-inch  roll  rim 
galvanized  iron  roof  gutter  cut  to  proper  length  and  mth  ends 
soldered  on.    The  local  tinsmith  will  make  such  troughs  at  small  cost. 

Figure  20  illustrates  a  two-compartment,  portable  crate  with  feed 
troughs  in  position  and  one  of  the  pans  for  catching  the  droppings 
partly  pulled  out.  In  figure  20a  the  methods  of  construction  are 
shown  in  detail. 

SUPPLY  CAN 

If  a  poultry  keeper  has  a  number  of  pens  of  fowls  to  feed  and 
carries  a  big  pail  of  grain  from  pen  to  pen,  he  is  not  only  performing 
labor  daily  that  could  just  as  well  be  done  once  a  week  and  with  a 
wheelbarrow  or  horse  and  wagon,  but  at  the  same  time  is  wasting  much 
valuable  time  unless  he  can  gather  the  eggs  and  do  the  feeding  on  the 
same  trip.  By  having  in  each  pen  a  supply  can  large  enough  to  hold 
a  week's  supply  of  grain  for  that  pen  and  a  dry  mash  hopper  large 
enough  to  hold  a  week 's  supply  of  mash,  the  mash  hoppers  and  supply 


28 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — ^EXPERIMENT    STATION 


cans  need  be  filled  only  once  a  week  and  the  feed  can  be  hauled  in  a 
wagon  or  cart.  The  poultry  man  can  then  walk  from  pen  to  pen  each 
morning  with  his  hands  free  for  other  things  and  scatter  the  right 
amount  of  grain  to  the  fowls  in  each  pen  from  the  supply  can  in  that 
pen.    At  night  he  can  feed  and  gather  the  eggs  on  the  same  trip. 


Fig.  21. — Supply  can  for  grain  or  mash. 


jjK-P^K   KydYl 


^/*P() 


Sc.u/f"-r 


Fig.  21a. — Plan  showing  construction  of  supply  can.  In  figure  20,  two  covers 
are  shown.  The  small  cover  at  the  top  makes  it  easier  to  pour  feed  out  of  the 
can.    It  may  be  made  \vith  one  or  two  covers  as  desired. 


Circular  268] 


LABOR  SAVING   POULTRY   APPLIANCES 


29 


The  supply  can  illustrated  in  figures  21  and  21a  may  be  made  any 
size  desired,  and  has  a  slanting  top  that  fowls  cannot  perch  upon. 
For  small  pens  of  fowls  it  can  be  built  separately  and  hung  on  the 
wall.  For  large  pens  of  fowls  it  may  be  built  in  and  arranged  so 
that  it  can  be  filled,  if  desired,  from  the  outside.  Galvanized  iron  or 
Avooden  barrels  also  make  good  supply  cans. 


Fig.  22. — Hatching  egg  cabinet  (modified  Maine  cabinet). 

Should  it  be  desirable  to  know  the  amount  of  feed  consumed  from 
week  to  week  by  certain  pens,  the  amount  of  feed  put  in  the  supply 
can  and  mash  hopper  at  the  beginning  of  the  week,  say  Monday 
morning  after  the  morning  feed,  can  be  weighed  in  and  the  amount 
left  at  the  end  of  the  week  (Monday  morning  after  the  morning  feed) 
can  be  weighed  back  before  weighing  in  a  new  supply.  In  this  way 
accurate  records  can  be  kept  of  the  feed  consumption  per  pen  or  flock 
and  of  the  relative  consumption  of  grain  and  ma.sh. 


HATCHING  EGG  CABINET 

In  figure  22  is  shown  a  labor-saving  egg-turning  cabinet  for  hatch- 
ing eggs.  When  a  great  many  eggs  are  set  each  season  and  they  must 
all  be  turned  by  hand  while  they  are  being  saved  for  the  incubators, 


30 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


I 


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Circular  268] 


LABOR   SAVING   POULTRY    APPLIANCES 


31 


considerable  time  is  required  each  day  to  turn  them.  With  the  device 
illustrated,  over  two  thousand  egg^  can  be  turned  at  the  same  time  by 
simply  revolving  the  table  on  its  axle.  As  can  be  seen  from  the 
illustrations,  the  table  is  divided  into  eight  compartments,  each  of 
which  contains  eight  common  egg  case  fillers.  The  fillers  in  each 
compartment  are  separated  and  held  in  place  by  14-inch  by  2i/i-inch 
strips  notched  to  fit  together  where  they  intersect  (fig.  22a).     Each 


Fig.  23. — Egg  sorting  table.  The  sections  perforated  with  holes  to  receive 
tbe  eggs  being  sorted  rest  on  cleats  nailed  to  the  table  top  proper  and  can  be 
lifted  off  for  cleaning. 


compartment  is,  therefore,  divided  into  eight  smaller  divisions,  each 
of  which  contains  one  three-dozen  size  egg  case  filler.  By  having  the 
table  .divided  up  in  this  way  into  unit  sections  each  of  three  dozen 
capacity,  it  is  very  easy  to  keep  eggs  from  special  matings  or  special 
pens  of  breeders  separate  while  being  saved. 

Double  faced  corrugated  cardboard  is  used  to  line  the  inside  of 
the  table  and  as  partition  walls  between  the  upper  and  lower  compart- 
ments. Ordinary  harness  snaps  are  used  to  fasten  the  covers  when 
shut.  Before  turning,  the  operator  should  be  certain  that  every  cover 
is  firmly  fastened. 


32  UNIVERSITY    OF    CAIJFORNIA — EXPERIMENT   STATION 


EGG  SOETING  TABLE 

In  sorting  eggs,  especially  for  incubation,  it  is  often  convenient  to 
have  a  table  on  which  the  eggs  v^^ill  stay  v^here  put  vs^ithout  danger  of 
rolling  around  or  falling  on  the  floor.  The  table  shown  in  figures  23 
and  24  is  one  that  has  been  especially  designed  for  this  purpose. 
Persons  who  are  doing  trapnesting,  pedigree  breeding,  keeping  pen 
records  of  breeding  stock  as  a  substitute  for  trapnesting,  etc.,  will 
find  such  a  table  very  useful  in  systematically  arranging  and  record- 
ing eggs  for  the  incubator. 


Fig.  24. — Comer  of  an  egg  room  showing  sorting  table,  egg  scales, 
and  hatching  egg  cabinet. 

The  authors  wish  to  acknowledge  their  indebtedness  to  Professor 
W.  E.  Lloyd  of  the  Division  of  Poultry  Husbandry  for  much  helpful 
assistance;  to  Mr.  P.  R.  Lyding,  Poultry  Advisor,  Sacramento 
Suburban  Fruit  Lands  Company,  for  his  permission  to  include  a 
number  of  features  of  the  Lyding  nest  and  broody  coop  in  the  nest 
and  broody  coop  unit  described  in  this  bulletin,  and  to  those  poultry 
keepers  throughout  the  state  who  have  consciously  or  unconsciously 
been  of  assistance  to  the  authors  in  perfecting  the  appliances  described. 


